This invention relates to engines and motors for converting energy in fluids under pressure to rotary motion, and to compressors and pumps for compressing or pumping fluids.
A rotary type internal combustion engine or motor is disclosed in Patent Co-operation Treaty International Application No. PCT/NZ93/00123. This form of engine has considerable advantages over conventional engines, particularly internal combustion engines, but has scope for improvement in some areas. The primary disadvantage with the engine disclosed in PCT/NZ93/00123 is that a trailing seal is required to provide the rear wall of the combustion chamber. The trailing seal essentially comprises a vane which has limited displacement. This creates two disadvantages. The first is that the geometry of the vane means that at high speeds the vane can tend to jam and not seal properly, thus limiting the attainable compression ratio of the engine, and thus the power output. The second disadvantage is that the limited movement of the vane prevents it from following the contour of the inner wall of the stator so that exhaust gases are not immediately purged.
The rotary type engine or motor disclosed in Patent Co-operation Treaty International Application No. PCT/NZ93/00123 can also be used as a compressor or pump. The form of compressor it discloses has considerable advantages over conventional compressors, particularly those that use a reciprocating piston in a cylinder, or rotary screw but has scope for improvement in some areas. Again, the primary disadvantage with the compressor disclosed in PCT/NZ93/00123 is that a trailing seal is required to provide the rear wall of the compression chamber. The trailing seal essentially comprises a vane which has limited displacement. This creates disadvantages similar to those relating to the engine; the geometry of the vane means that at high speeds the vane can tend to jam and not seal properly, thus limiting the attainable compression ratio, and thus the performance; and the limited movement of the vane prevents it from following the contour of the inner wall of the stator so that it does not assist in drawing inlet gases into the compressor for compression.
Furthermore, it would be advantageous to provide an engine and a compressor that required fewer parts, and that could be easily expanded to provide increased output while having desired torque characteristics.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an engine, motor, compressor, or pump which will at least go some way toward overcoming the foregoing disadvantages, or which will at least provide the public with a useful choice.
In one aspect the invention consists in an engine or motor for converting energy in fluids under pressure to rotary motion, comprising;
a stator having fluids inlet means for supply of a fluid or fluids to said engine, and fluids exhaust means for the removal of fluid or fluids from said engine or motor,
a rotor rotatably mounted relative to said stator,
at least two moveable arm means provided on said rotor, said moveable arm means both providing walls of an expansion chamber of said engine or motor.
In a further aspect the invention consists in an internal combustion engine, comprising;
a stator having inlet means for supply of fluids to said engine, and exhaust means for the removal of combusted or expanded fluids from said engine,
a rotor rotatably mounted relative to said stator,
two moveable arm means provided on said rotor, said moveable arm means both providing walls of a combustion chamber of said engine.
In a further aspect the invention may broadly be said to consist in a method of operating an internal combustion engine, said method comprising the steps of;
supplying an inlet fluid or fluids to a combustion or expansion chamber of said engine, walls of said combustion or expansion chamber including parts of two moveable arm means,
igniting said fluids,
varying the area of one wall of said combustion chamber exposed to said fluids as said fluids combust while maintaining the area of at least one of the other walls of said combustion chamber substantially constant so as to provide a required engine torque characteristic.
In a further aspect the invention may broadly be said to consist in a method of operating an internal combustion engine, said method comprising the steps of;
supplying an inlet fluid or fluids to a first chamber of said engine,
compressing said inlet fluids in said first chamber for supply to a combustion or expansion chamber of said engine,
transferring said compressed fluids to said combustion or expansion chamber of said engine, walls of said combustion chamber comprising parts of two moveable arm means, and
combusting said fluids to effect mechanical movement.
In a further aspect the invention may broadly be said to consist in a stationary housing for housing an engine or compressor, said housing comprising a central casing having an inner circumferential surface, a part of said inner surface being profiled or contoured to provide an expansion surface and the remainder of said inner surface being of a different profile or contour to said expansion surface, said surfaces being profiled or contoured so that two moveable arm means provided on said rotor are progressively moved relative to said rotor during at least a part of the operating cycle of said engine or compressor.
In a further aspect the invention may broadly be said to consist in a rotor for an engine or compressor, said rotor comprising a body, a support means for mounting said body relative to a stationary housing of said engine or compressor so as to allow relative rotational movement between said body and said housing, said body having a two moveable arm means thereon at least parts of which provide walls of an expansion chamber of said engine or compressor.
In a further aspect the invention may broadly be said to consist in apparatus for compressing or pumping fluids, comprising;
a stator having fluid inlet means for supply of a fluid or fluids to said apparatus, and fluids outlet means for the removal of fluid or fluids from said apparatus,
a rotor rotatably mounted relative to said stator,
two moveable arm means provided on said rotor, said moveable arm means both providing walls of a compression chamber of said compressor or pump.
In a further aspect the invention may broadly be said to consist in a compressor or pump, comprising;
a stator having gases inlet means for supply of gases to said compressor or pump, and gases exhaust means for the removal of combusted gases from said compressor or pump,
a rotor rotatably mounted relative to said stator,
two moveable arm means provided on said rotor, said torque link arm means both providing walls of a compression chamber of said compressor or pump.
In a further aspect the invention may broadly be said to consist in a method of operating a compressor or pump, said method comprising the steps of;
supplying inlet fluids to a compression chamber of said compressor or pump, walls of said compression chamber including parts of two moveable arm means,
varying the area of one wall of said compression chamber exposed to said gases, and
maintaining the area of the other walls of said compression chamber substantially constant so as to provide a required pressure and/or volume of fluids delivered by said compressor or pump.
In a further aspect the invention may broadly be said to consist in a method of operating a compressor or pump, said method comprising the steps of;
supplying inlet fluids to a first chamber of said compressor or pump during part of a compression cycle of said compressor or pump,
compressing said inlet fluids in said first chamber for supply to said compressor or pump,
transferring said compressed fluids to a compression chamber of a further said compressor or pump, walls of said compression chamber comprising parts of two moveable arm means, and
delivering a required volume of said compressed fluids at a required pressure.
In a further aspect the invention may broadly be said to consist in a stationary housing for housing a compressor or pump, said housing comprising a central casing having an inner circumferential surface, a part of said inner surface being profiled or contoured to provide a compression surface and the remainder of said inner surface being of a different profile or contour to said compression surface, said surfaces being profiled or contoured so that two moveable arm means provided on said rotor are progressively moved relative to said rotor during at least part of the operating cycle of said compressor or pump.
In a further aspect the invention may broadly be said to consist in a rotor for a compressor or pump, said rotor comprising a body, a support means for mounting said body relative to a stationary housing of said compressor or pump so as to allow relative rotational movement between said body and said housing, said body having a two moveable arm means thereon at least parts of which provide walls of a working chamber of said compressor or pump.
To those skilled in the art to which the invention relates, many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments will suggest themselves without departing form the invention as defined in the appended claims. The disclosures and descriptions herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.
The invention consists in the foregoing and also envisages constructions of which the following gives examples.